Joy to the World
by ManOfAction1138
Summary: He's a myth. He's a legend. He's loved all over the world by the children who believe in him. But does anyone truly know the origins of Santa Claus? It's the tale of one man haunted by his past and the woman that taught him to believe again. Who knows? This story may make a believer out of you too...
1. Tragedy on a Winter's Night

It was hard times for the people of Wintervale. The struggling community's economy had fallen through and work was difficult to find. As a result, the city officials had decided to take up coal mining as a potential export. Because of this, the men had been forced to abandon the trades that had been passed down in their families and work long hours in the mines.

Many had died in accidents, including the father of two children, Claus and Anya. This tragedy had caused their mother to die of a broken heart, so brother and sister were now living by themselves on the streets.

Claus was a boy of eight and Anya a girl of six. They had endured much together and were wise to the ways of the streets; they tried to find work wherever they could, but they had little to offer being so young. Anya had taken to selling matches, at least until she could make enough for something for her and her brother to eat. In the cold and darkness, the poor girl walked barefoot through the falling snow.

She had no coat, no hat, and no shoes. Claus was supervising from the nearby street lamp and sighed sadly. He knew they would never be able to make enough to feed themselves, let alone with matches for pennies. But his love for his sister overrode his common sense and so he humored her innocent attempt to help. Unfortunately, nobody had bought anything from the girl.

She thought she would have better luck in the city narrows, so she made her way there. Meanwhile, Claus was distracted by a rich family, which consisted of a mother, a father, and two girls, stepping onto a fancy horse-pulled sleigh that was waiting on the street for them. Claus resented the fact that the family didn't even spare a glance at him. However, he thought he saw the eldest girl, a blonde that looked to be around his age, give him a sad look before being shuffled along by her father.

Suddenly, Claus realized that Anya wasn't there anymore and ran to catch up to her, but was blocked by a large crowd. Claus pushed and prodded to try and reach his sister, but all the people overwhelmed him and he got knocked to the ground. As he picked himself up, Claus noticed little footprints in the snow and he recognized them as Anya's.

He followed them out of the sea of people and saw that they were headed towards the narrows. Claus knew that the more unscrupulous residents of Wintervale resided there and feared for his sister's safety. He rushed into the narrows, passing by homeless beggars and miscreants, before he came across a sight that would shatter his heart forever.

There was Anya, frozen to death and still clutching the matches she was trying to sell. Tears welled in Claus's eyes as he ran to his sister's side and cradled her dead body. As he sobbed into her shoulder, a new feeling began to brew in his heart.

They were feelings of hatred: hatred for the parents that left them alone, hatred for the world that had been unkind to them, and hatred for the winter night that had taken his sister away from him. His cries had turned to screams of anger as his heart grew colder and colder with each scream he let out. This was the night that Claus of Wintervale came to hate Christmas Eve.


	2. The Lonely Queen

"ELSA!", rang the voice of Princess Anna through the halls of Arendelle Castle. The blonde queen groaned as she was awoken by her sister's call. Lifting herself out of bed, Elsa used her magic to change her nightgown into her usual ice dress.

At one time, Elsa's powers over ice and snow terrified her to no end. It had been a year since she had accidentally covered Arendelle in an early winter. A year since Prince Hans had tried to take over their kingdom. And a year since she nearly killed her sister Anna by freezing her heart.

It took an act of true to love to thaw Anna's frozen heart. However, it didn't come from kissing a handsome stranger, but from Anna willing to give her life to protect her sister. With that act of true love, Elsa overcame her fear and gave Arendelle back its summer.

Since then, Elsa and Anna had spent a lot of time together. It had been a long time since the two had done anything together, so things were a little awkward at first. With time, though, the two became as inseparable as they were before the accident that pushed them apart.

However, something had recently enough entered the picture that caused their relationship to change somewhat. And its name was Kristoff. The mountaineer and his reindeer Sven had been instrumental in helping Anna reconcile with her sister.

Though Elsa was still adverse to the idea of Anna marrying a man she had only known for a short while, considering what happened with Hans, she allowed them to spend time together and see where their relationship went.

She trusted Kristoff enough to make him the official ice deliverer of Arendelle. However, Elsa didn't forsee them getting on so well together. There were many days when Anna spent more time with Kristoff than anybody else.

To be honest, Elsa had been feeling something lately whenever she saw them together. Was it jealousy? No it couldn't be. Elsa was happy for Anna and Kristoff. Wasn't she?

Suddenly, the door to Elsa's bedroom flew open and she was brought out of her thoughts by Anna jumping onto her bed. "Come on downstairs, Elsa!", Anna exclaimed, "It's time for breakfast!"

Elsa allowed Anna to lead her by the hand downstairs and into the room where Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, the snowman that Elsa had brought to life, were waiting for them. And so the group proceeded enjoying breakfast.

As Elsa ate her breakfast of chocolate pancakes, she saw Kristoff and Anna feeding each other bites of pancake. Those negative feelings Elsa had before were starting to brew up again. She excused herself from the table and decided to get some fresh air on one of the castle balconies.

Olaf could tell something was wrong, so he followed Elsa. Once he found her, he asked, "Are you okay, Elsa?" Elsa turned to the snowman and answered, "Of course, Olaf. Why wouldn't I be?" Olaf tilted his head and replied, "You look so sad. Can I help cheer you up?" Sighing sadly, Elsa replied, "I don't think so, Olaf."

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what you're feeling!", the snowman stubbornly exclaimed, "If you want, I could give you a counseling session." Before Elsa could protest, Olaf dragged her through the halls of the castle and into her room. Once they were there, he led her to a large chair, told her to sit, and sat himself down on her bed.

"Are you ready for your session?", Olaf asked, donning a pair of glasses that he got from somewhere. Elsa decided to humor Olaf and went along with his 'counseling session'. The first question Olaf asked was how Elsa was feeling, to which Elsa replied that, most of the time, she felt empty and sick every time she looked at Anna and Kristoff.

As soon as she answered, Olaf leaped from his spot and exclaimed, "Eureka! I've figured out what your problem is. You want your own Kristoff!" Elsa's eyes widened with horror and she replied, "I don't like Kristoff that way, Olaf. And I'm happy that he and Anna are together."

"I know that.", Olaf said, "What I mean is that you want the same kind of thing that Anna and Kristoff have." To demonstrate, he pushed his hands together and made kissy noises. "Do you mean love, Olaf?" The snowman nodded happily. Elsa folded her hands in front of her heart and said, "Maybe you're right, Olaf. Mama and Papa used to speak of my potential betrothal when I was young. But none of the princes of the neighboring kingdoms have come forth because they're afraid of my powers."

Olaf thought for a minute about this and replied, "Maybe your true love doesn't have to be a prince. And maybe he's hiding really well. We should go look for him!" Elsa chuckled at Olaf's eager attitude and placed her hands on his shoulders before he could run off. "Let's wait until after Christmas before we start looking Olaf. Why don't we go rejoin Anna and Kristoff?"

This sent Olaf running back towards the living room. As Elsa followed him, she thought, Maybe I should start looking for a man. But where would I start? I can't expect him to come to me...


	3. The Wild Redman

For Claus, it felt like an eternity had passed since that horrible night thirteen years ago. The now twenty-one year old had fled left Wintervale following his sister's frigid demise; the city held too many bad memories for him to continue living there.

Claus ended up finding his way into Russia, where he was taken in by a group of Cossacks. The nomadic group of people, formed of thieves and runaways, told Claus that he could stay on the condition that he make himself useful. It was there that the young man learned the way of the sword, how to pick pockets, and ride on horseback.

Eventually, Claus began to tire of the life of a thief and decided to put the skills he had learned to better use than simply picking pockets. He took to selling his skills to the highest bidder and establishing himself as a mercenary for hire.

He also had skill as a trapper and fur tradesman. Which is exactly what he was doing now. He and his wolf Hesed, who he had found injured and nursed back to health, had killed several elk in the fjord and were travelling to the nearest place they could find to sell them. Which just happened to be Arendelle.

After many years of being stopped by closed gates, Claus now saw that they were wide open. He had heard stories in the taverns he visited that they had been closed because of a secret that the royal family was keeping. Claus was surprised that the secret was that the new queen Elsa, had power over ice.

As far as he was concerned, that was another reason to dislike her. He already thought that, in the short time she had been queen, she was a weak ruler who was too soft when it came to her subjects, but now she had magic that had proven itself to be dangerous. Magic over an element that took his sister away from him.

Claus had heard the stories of how Elsa had accidentally hurt her sister Anna with her magic and how an act of true love thawed both of their frozen hearts. In Claus's eyes, that was a load of fairytale rubbish. Love didn't save Anya from being frozen to death thirteen years ago, so why should it work now?

Claus decided he was going to do his business with Arendelle and move on. However, he was stopped by two guards at the gate. From what Claus could see, neither of them could be older than eighteen. "Halt!", one of them ordered and then asked, "What is your business here, stranger?" Claus glared at them from underneath his red hood and answered, "I've come seeking to trade these elk furs for a sack of gold pieces." The second guard looked behind Claus to examine his load and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but fur trading is illegal in Arendelle. By order of Queen Elsa."

Claus smirked at the mention of the queen's name, turned to Hesed and said, "By order of Queen Elsa? Is it any wonder Arendelle has become the laughing stock of the civilized world, Hesed?" The Arctic wolf barked in agreement and the two guards became enamored by Claus's taunt. "Just what are you implying, sir?", one of them asked. "I imply that your so-called queen has let Arendelle run rampant with so much saccharine sweetness, it gives me indigestion."

The guards were even more offended by this proclaimation and raised their crossbows. "We're warning you! We will shoot if one more word drips off your venomous tongue!" Claus wasted no time in disarming both men and knocking them to the ground. He then did something unexpected.

Claus threw their weapons back at them and asked, "You'll kill me? Let me ask you this. Have any of had to take a life in service to your kingdom? Have you ever had to put down a madman threatening the life of an innocent civilian? Well, let me tell you both something. I am Claus the Wild Redman! God will not allow my death by your feeble arrows. God will not allow me to die by a sword or be taken by a blizzard. God will not let me pass in my sleep of old age!"

The two guards were mortified by Claus's speech, even moreso when he presented his heart and continued, "Release your arrows here, guards of Arendelle! Take my life!" One of the guards fearfully exclaimed, "Stop your ravings or we'll-" "You'll what? Kill me?", Claus interrupted, "Well, kill me then! Do it! KILL ME! KILL ME!"

Unable to bring themselves to do it, both men dropped to their knees in front Claus. Claus then drew his sword, pointed it at one of the guards, and raised his chin to look him in the eyes. "Do you know why you can't kill me, my friends? Because I died many years ago when I was young."

Claus sheathed his sword, turned to his wolf companion and said, "Let's go, Hesed. We're finished here." With that, man and wolf left pulling their sleigh of furs and leaving two terrified young guards behind. Little did they know that Claus had meant every word he said to them. And Claus had yet to realize that in a few moments his life would change forever.


	4. Goodwill Toward Men

"A dark silence hung over Claus and Hesed as they left Arendelle. Claus had already told Hesed about his childhood in Wintervale and the painful memories it held for him. Even so, Hesed continued to be shocked by the amount of self-loathing Claus had for himself. He wanted to tell Claus that Anya's death was not his fault, but he knew that Claus wouldn't be able to understand him, on account of him being a wolf.

The pair trudged back to Claus's temporary cabin, which was on the outskirts of Arendelle. Once they arrived, Claus pulled his sled of furs into an old shed and went over to unlock the front door of his cabin. Once he and Hesed were inside, Claus asked, "What do you feel like for supper, old friend? I think there's still some leftover elk meat. What do you say? Stew for me, raw for you?" Hesed eagerly barked and began panting, awaiting his meal. Claus walked over to the one of the food cupboards and pulled out a plate of elk meat.

He cut it in half, chopped one half into pieces and gave the other half to Hesed. "Enjoy, my friend.", he said to the wolf, as he set about preparing his stew. After the two had finished their meal, they set about preparing for bed. Hesed settled by the fireplace and Claus went upstairs to his bed. Too tired to change into his nightshirt, Claus kicked off his boots and flopped into bed. Before Claus went to sleep, he realized that today was the twenty-fourth of December.

For twenty-one years, Anya has been dead, Claus lamented, Once again, I'm reminded of my greatest failure. Anya needed me and I wasn't there. No one was. Not our parents. Not our fellow man. What did anyone do when Anya needed help. Nothing. Christmas isn't a time for giving and caring. It's a time for fools and liars. And nothing will ever convince me otherwise. Nothing.

All of a sudden, Claus was brought out of his rant by a strange noise coming from outside his window. It sounded like a child crying for help. At first, Claus thought it was merely the wind, but the sound grew louder each time he heard it. Now he knew for sure it was a child's voice. "Help me!", it called, "I'm lost! I'm cold! I want to go home!" Claus looked outside and saw a small boy fighting against a blizzard.

Claus was frozen with shock. His mind flashed back to finding Anya's body frozen in ice. Much to his amazement, Claus found himself shoving his boots on and running outside. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he knew he couldn't waste time thinking about it. "HELLO!", he yelled over the roaring wind, "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Claus could see the boy's shape through the strong wind. He tried to get closer, but the wind kept blowing him back. Claus then began to feel coldness sleep into his limbs. Ice began rapidly spreading on his arms and legs, but still he tried to move closer to the helpless child.

When he finally reached him, Claus wrapped his arms around the boy to try and shield him from the cold. "I'm sorry", Claus said to the boy, "I wish there was more I could do." At last, Claus's body was entirely encased in ice, still holding on to the child he had risked his life in vain to protect.

* * *

"Open your eyes", Claus heard a voice say. He did and, much to his amazement, discovered that the storm had disappeared. The fjord was covered with snow, but the sky was cleared and the Sun was shining bright. Looking down, Claus could see that he was no longer frozen and that the child he had tried to rescue had vanished.

He could also see a pair of sandaled feet standing in the snow. Looking up, Claus could see that standing before him was a long-haired and bearded man dressed in a white robe, a beige overcoat, and a red sash. The stranger, smiling at Claus, stretched out his hand and said, "Let me help you to stand." Claus took the man's hand and stood up. "Who are you?", Claus asked, to which the man replied, "I am a friend. A friend who has been watching you for a long time."

"What do you mean 'watching me'?", Claus asked. The stranger continued to smile and said, "Walk with me, Claus. We have much to discuss." Despite his confusion, Claus followed the stranger as they calmly walked through the snow covered fjord.

The stranger turned to Claus, his smile fading, and he continued, "Your life has been an unfortunate one, Claus. Orphaned at a young age. Having to look after your younger sister all by yourself. That is more responsibility than one boy should have to carry. Nevertheless, you rose to the challenge. For that, I am proud. But somewhere along the way, things changed. You stopped hoping for you and sister to have a better life. You stopped caring for your fellow man. Why is that Claus?"

Claus bristled at the stranger's statement. "What business is it of yours how I treat my fellow man!?", he growled out, "Where was my fellow man when Anya needed help!? I'll tell you where! Wallowing in their greed and ignorance! That's all a time like Christmas is good for!"

The stranger gave Claus a look of disbelief and asked, "If that's true, then why did you come out into the cold to save a child's life? Perhaps there is more capacity for kindness in man's world then you can see at the moment. But I intend to help you change that."

Claus couldn't believe what he was hearing. This stranger wanted to change him? "And just how do you plan on doing that?", Claus, with his voice full of doubt, asked.

The mysterious stranger again smiled and replied, "By transforming you, Claus. By making you better than you are now. You will become the living embodiment of all the good that exists in men's hearts. You will live again as a reminder of man's capacity for love and kindness. If you wish to return to life, you must become the host of the spirit of Christmas. It is my plan for you."


	5. Born Again on Christmas Day

""Your plan for me?", Claus asked incredulously, "Who do you think you are? God?"

The stranger shook his head and replied, "Who I am is not important now. It is who you are, Claus, that is what matters at the moment. You are descending down a very dark path. One of your own making. There is so much you could do to make the world better and yet you are too blinded by your own pity and loathing for yourself to do so. I am not in disagreement with you at all about the terrible things that men have done. But by travelling down this path, you fail to see how much like them you have become."

Claus normally would have shot back with an insult, but this time he thought back. Thought back to all the times he had caused a tavern brawl over something ridiculous like a failed game of cards. Or the times that he violently pushed aside a beggar looking for something to eat. Or the times he had shouted at children for trying to pet Hesed.

Claus wasn't sure what he was feeling right now, but he didn't like it. He felt sick to his stomach; so much so that he fell to his knees. "My God.", he said, "What have I done? What monster have I become?"

The stranger kneeled next to him, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and answered, "You are possessed by no monster, Claus. Only your own guilt and confusion." Claus then began to weep as he replied, "Anya would be ashamed of me."

"You're wrong, storebror.", said a female voice behind Claus. Eyes wide with shock, Claus turned around and saw a brown-haired girl in a red dress smiling at him. "Anya?", Claus asked with tears in his eyes. Anya smiled and nodded at the young man who ran over to her and enveloped her in his arms.

"ANYA! You're alive!", Claus exclaimed as he swung the girl around. As he set her down, Anya's smile faded and she said, "No, Claus. I'm still very much dead. A shade of the sister you once knew."

Claus's eyes became wide with surprise as he asked, "You mean you're a ghost?" Anya nodded and replied, "Yes, storebror. My chance at life is over. But you still have one. If you promise to look at the world with different eyes."

Claus nodded and said, "I will for you Anya." The girl sighed sadly. Claus just couldn't seem to stop dwelling on her. "Can you not see, Claus?", the stranger said, drawing brother and sister's attention back to him, "This is not about Anya. Or you. This is about the dream."

Claus looked puzzled by this as he asked, "What dream?" The stranger answered, "The dream that there will someday be peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, women, and children. You could be the one to make this dream come true, Claus. So that never again will there be a little girl left alone to freeze to death in an alley."

That last word got to Claus. If he agreed to do this, he would be able to change the things that he despised in the world. Claus wasn't sure what was happening to him, but he liked what he was feeling now. "What must I do?", he asked.

The stranger smiled at him and said, "Kneel, Claus." The young man did as he was told and the stranger continued with, "Give me your sword." Claus unsheathed his blade and gave it to the stranger, who then placed it at Claus's shoulder. "Do you, Claus of Wintervale, vow to abandon your selfish ways and pursue a life of kindness? To spend your days spreading comfort and joy to those who need it? To be the living embodiment of the spirit of Christmas?"

Claus looked at Anya, who had moved to stand next to the stranger. Even though he initially had his doubts about this, if agreeing to this would allow him to make a difference in the world then he would do it. Without a second thought, he answered with, "I will."

Suddenly, much to Claus's shock, his sword transformed into snowflakes that blew away in the wind. The stranger then said, "It is accomplished. You will be reawaken as a new man. You will see with eyes that are filled with wonder. And you will share that wonder with the world."

"How will I do that?", Claus asked. The stranger got a twinkle in his eye and replied, "That is up to you, Claus." The light from the Sun suddenly shone brighter than it had before. "It's time for us to go, Claus", said Anya, as she and the stranger began to walk towards the light.

Claus nodded in understanding, as Anya took the stranger's hand, but quickly asked, before they went into the light, "Wait! Has this all been a dream?" The stranger spared one last glance at Claus, as the light enveloped him and Anya, and replied, "Of course it is has, Claus. But why should that mean that it is not real?"

* * *

"ELSA!", rang once again the voice of Princess Anna through the halls of Arendelle Castle. The blonde queen groaned as she was again awoken by her sister's call. Elsa did not even have time to climb out of bed before Anna burst threw the door and jumped on Elsa's bed.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY!", Anna exclaimed as she grabbed Elsa's arm and dragged her through the castle. Elsa allowed Anna to lead her by the hand downstairs and into the room where the Christmas tree was set up. Waiting for them, were Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, the snowman that Elsa had brought to life.

"Elsa!", Olaf called out, "Come sit with me! You can open my present first!" Elsa did as she was told and sat next to the snowman. He gleefully handed her a hastily wrapped box and Elsa opened it. Inside was a puddle of water. A puzzled Elsa looked at Olaf, who gasped and said, "Oh no! My snowball!"

The snowman had a look of disappointment on his face, but Elsa only smiled kindly and waved her hand over the water. Her magic transformed it into a beautiful snowglobe with a miniature Arendelle inside. "Thank you, Olaf.", she said, "I absolutely love it." Olaf let out another gasp, though this one was happy, and replied, "Me too!"

Before the group could continue with opening more presents, however, one of the doors flew open and Kai, Arendelle's majordomo, burst in and said, "Queen Elsa! There is a matter of grave importance you must attend to!" Elsa immediately followed Kai down the hall and into the throne room. There stood two guards who were carrying a body on a stretcher.

"Your highness.", said the first guard, "We were inspecting the damage of last night's snowstorm and found this man kneeling in the fjord." They moved to let Elsa inspect the body. He was a dark-haired man around her age, with eyes that were the most striking shade of blue she had ever seen. "How is he still alive?", she asked.

The second guard replied, "We don't know, Queen Elsa. It's a miracle to say the very least. What should we do with him?" Elsa didn't know why, but she felt an overwhelming urge to know more about this man. "Take him to the guest room.", she said, "The maids will tend to him."

The guards bowed, picked up the stretcher, and carried it to the guest room. Elsa watched them disappear down the hall, asking herself, Just who are you?


	6. Waking Up

Bright sunlight was what greeted Claus when he awoke from his slumber. When he opened his eyes, he took in his surroundings. He was in a very expensive looking room, lying on an elaborate bed. If he had to guess, Claus would say he was in the bedroom of a king or nobleman. However, that wasn't the only thing that was different. Was it just him or did the world now seem brighter then it did before?

Before, the world always looked grey and drab to Claus. But now it seemed to be alive with color. There was something else too. He was feeling a little bloated today. Claus shook it off and got out of bed, losing his blanket in the process. However, he was not ashamed of his lack of clothing. He was by himself in his room, so what did it matter? Well, the door opened suddenly and Gerda, the eldest of the castle's maids, walked in to see him standing in the buff.

She promptly screamed, "Oh my!", and covered her eyes. Claus looked at here, but made no attempt to cover himself. "Good morning, ma'am.", he greeted politely, "Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?" Gerda parted her fingers, so one eye would show, and replied, "Gerda, sir. I'm one of the head servants here in the Arendelle Castle. Would you mind covering youself? It's not proper for a man to be undressed in the presence of a lady."

Claus looked down at his nudity, shrieked, and covered himself with his hands. "Forgive me!", he said, "Is there something for me to wear?" Gerda immediately pointed toward the pile of clothing on the chair next to the bed. "Once you've dressed, come outside.", she said, "I will bring you to Queen Elsa."

The young man nodded quickly and Gerda went to wait outside, closing the door behind her. Claus went over to the pile of clothing and started dressing himself. He was soon sporting a beige tunic, burgundy pants, a brown vest, and a red cap. Claus also took time to look in the mirror at himself. He looked different than when he had fallen asleep.

His skin was much paler now and his cheeks were redder. His eyes were also an extremely bright pale blue, when they had previously been grey. And was it just him or was there stubble forming on his chin? Either way Claus didn't have time to worry about it. He was being taken to meet the Queen.

 _Wait a minute_ , Claus thought to himself, _Why am I feeling excited? I hate Queen Elsa! Don't I? Then again, I've never met a queen before. Especially one as beautiful as Elsa… Wait a minute! Where did that come from?!_ Shaking his head to flush all strange thoughts out of his brain, Claus went over to the door and opened it.

* * *

Once he stepped outside, Gerda led him down the hallway to the throne room. There sat the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had pale skin, blonde braided hair, and was clad in a blue form fitting dress and cape. There was no doubt that she was Queen Elsa. Also, standing on both sides of the throne were a red haired woman, a blonde haired man, a reindeer, and a...snowman?

The snowman had a big smile on his face as he walked up to Claus. Once he had reached him, he greeted Claus with, "Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" Olaf then proceeded to throw his arms, or sticks, around the confused man in an embrace. Normally, Claus would do everything in his power to beat the life out of a walking, talking snowman, but instead he patted Olaf on the shoulder.

"Very nice to meet you, Olaf.", Claus said. As the snowman continued to hug him, the young queen of Arendelle approached them and asked, "And who may you be, sir?" Claus responded with, "Just a wandering traveller, your highness." Suddenly, memories began to flood back into Claus's mind. He had died, hadn't he? Frozen to death trying to save a child lost in the fjord?

But then there was that shadowy man Claus saw. The one that told him he could live again if he became the host of the spirit of Christmas. Did that actually happen? Or was it a dream? His head began to hurt as all the questions knocked around in his head.

Elsa knelt down in concern and placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulder. "Can you at least tell me your name?" The confused young man looked at her and answered, "Claus. My name is Claus of Wintervale. And I was born again on Christmas Day."

Everyone in the room was puzzled by what he said, but before they could ask him what he meant, several guards burst into the throne room. "Your highness, get away from that man!", one of them shouted, "We know who he is! It's the Wild Redman!" They had crossbows aimed right at Claus. "Step back, Queen Elsa!", another guard repeated, "He's a wanted fugitive! A Cossack!" Elsa looked at the alleged "fugitive" and saw an expression she recognized all to well. Fear.

She didn't know why, but she felt that there was more to Claus than being a wanted criminal. So she stood in front him and declared, "Before you arrest him, I'd like to have a talk with him. Hear his side of the story. You guards may accompany us into the castle gardens." Reluctantly, they lowered their weapons and followed Elsa and Claus to the gardens. Meanwhile, those that were left behind had this question on their minds: _What just happened?_


End file.
